She Was Never His to Lose
by Milly Lily Lilac
Summary: Valjean finds out something he would have rather not known about his daughter.


**Description: Valjean finds out something he would have rather not known about his daughter.**

Silence laced the dark house as Jean Valjean crept through the empty hallways, careful not to wake Cosette.

Sleep had not come easily for him tonight. Cosette had acted rather strange at dinner, like strangely anticipated… He had only to wonder why. This lead to him being awake far past his regular bed time, simply wondering what was causing his daughter to act so strangely.

He had sworn he had heard some noises outside in the garden, something beyond a simple rustle in the bushes. And due to his forever weary nature, he had to go make sure it wasn't anything that would be a danger to him and Cosette.

Making sure to be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible, Valjean quietly opened the front door and peered out into the dark garden, observing every shadow, searching for anything that was out of the ordinary…

But all seemed relatively normal. Perhaps it was all in his head, he thought, maybe he was just hearing things due to tiredness…

Valjean turned, was about to go back into the house, but then he heard something that was never before heard in his house. A young man's voice.

Whirling around, he tried to find where the voice was coming from, he could make out some of the dialogue.

_"…Oh, Cosette, that sounds amazing. When we're married, I'll buy you thousands of flowers just so you could have your very own Eden."_

That caused Valjean's heart to stop for a moment. Marriage? To my Cosette? What on earth gave this boy the right to say such things to my daughter as if it was the most natural thing in the world?

He was shaking with anger, his old rough behaviour was bubbling up inside of him, just wanting to be unleashed. But what he heard then shocked him even more.

_"Marius, love, you'd never have to do such a thing for me. I don't need an Eden, you are my paradise."_

No… he thought, Cosette surely couldn't love this _boy___back… She had never even so much as talked to a boy, let alone confessed her love to one…

As if trying to convince himself he was dreaming, Valjean crept along the back wall of his house and peered in at two figures sitting on the stone bench that was beneath one of the large trees surrounding the house.

The smaller figure, Cosette it seemed, was leaning against the other figure, leaning a little _too___close for Valjean's comfort.

_"Oh, Marius, I wish I could tell Papa about us… But it seems as though there's never a right time to do so… I think it will be a bit much to tell him about us and about our engagement all at the same time…"_

Valjean's large hand flew to his mouth in shock, engagement? No, Cosette was _not___marrying this spineless boy. Never! How could he not even think to perhaps confront him and ask his permission to marry his daughter like any other civil man would?

_"Cosette, I was actually thinking of going to meet your father soon… perhaps in the next week if possible… I'm not exactly sure how, but I want to make things right. Even if that means that we'll have to wait years for us to wed… But i'd be willing to wait forever if it meant that I would one day be with you…"_

That was all he needed to hear. Valjean turned and swiftly made his way back inside. He did not stop until he reached his room. He flopped onto the bed, looked blankly up at the ceiling.

So it had happened. The time he was fearing for a while now. Cosette had a suitor, but not just any suitor, a man that intends to make her his wife.

Even despite his best efforts, he wasn't able to keep her sheltered forever… Now she was in love. It was undeniable, for the way they spoke so tenderly and innocently could not be mistaken as anything else but love.

He groaned, covering his face with his hands. He had never denied Cosette anything before, he couldn't start now, it would surely break her heart. But if he let his little dove fly away like this, it would surely break his…

He sighed then, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was going to meet with this boy, make sure he was in every way suitable for his daughter. He was going to be fair, that was what Cosette would want anyway…

He had always put Cosette's needs over his, to make her happy in any way he could, that was what a father should do…

Oh but he was not her father, he reminded himself, sadly. And she was never his to lose…


End file.
